A recent study published in the journal Science has upended previous understandings of lunar volcanic activity, providing new evidence indicating that volcanoes on the moon continued erupting until about 120 million years ago.

This insight comes from an analysis of tiny glass beads brought back to Earth by China's Chang'e-5 mission in 2020. Radiometric dating of these volcanic beads, which were meticulously examined by a team led by Professor Li Qiuli from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, showed that they formed 120 million years ago.

Researchers measured high abundances of rare earth elements and thorium in these volcanic glass beads. These findings suggest that the recent volcanism might be linked to local enrichment of heat-generating elements in the mantle sources of the magma, according to the study. Magma fountains, which produce volcanic glasses, have been previously identified in lunar surface samples.

Earlier studies of lunar rock samples had led researchers to believe that volcanic activity on the moon had long since ended around 2 billion years ago. However, the new research challenges this timeline, suggesting that the moon's volcanic activity persisted much later than previously understood.

The study underscores the importance of investigating the timeline of lunar volcanic activity, which is crucial for understanding the geological evolution of celestial bodies. In 2021, Chinese scientists showed that significant volcanic activity on the moon continued until about 2 billion years ago, extending its volcanic "lifetime" by roughly 1 billion years.